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Tuesday 9th February 2010

Top News
Boeing's latest airliner took off for the first time Monday at 12:39 p.m. The Boeing 747-8 was scheduled for a four-hour flight around the Pacific Northwest after a smooth liftoff from Paine Field. The aircraft is the longest ever built by Boeing and the first test article is a cargo version. The passenger version will follow in about a year and will carry up to 467 people in three classes. The cockpit is virtually identical to that of the 787 Dreamliner and passenger amenities will be similar.
Feb 8, 11:48pm UTC

More News
After years of searching for a replacement for the lead in 100LL, is the solution upon us? General Aviation Modifications thinks so and demonstrated the new fuel to AVweb in a test flight and engine test cell run.
Feb 8, 2:11am UTC
Three people died in a midair collision between a Cirrus aircraft and a glider towplane Saturday near Boulder, Colo.
Feb 6, 11:12pm UTC
In the wake of Colgan Air's Continental Flight 3407 that crashed outside of Buffalo last year, reporter and pilot Miles O'Brien has stepped up to front an investigative documentary, "Flying Cheap," to air on PBS and online Feb. 9, 2010.
Feb 5, 11:09pm UTC
Tyler Whitney, of Fenwick, Mich., has become the first EAA Young Eagle to pass his FAA private pilot written test by using Sporty's innovative Online Pilot Training Course, free of charge.
Feb 5, 4:58pm UTC
What the has been reported to be the only amateur film in existence of the January 28, 1986, Space Shuttle Challenger disaster has become public after nearly 25 years spent in a Florida basement.
Feb 4, 7:54pm UTC
Air traffic controllers in Ohio are protesting a move by the FAA to consolidate operations from several locations in the northern part of the state to a central facility in Cleveland.
Feb 3, 10:37pm UTC
Over his long career, Levy's work appeared in the Smithsonian Magazine, AOPA Pilot, Sport Pilot, Private Pilot, Kitplanes, and dozens more.
Feb 3, 11:25pm UTC
Nearly 10 years after an Air France Concorde crashed and burned near Paris, killing all 109 people on board and four on the ground, a trial began this week in France to determine who will be held responsible.
Feb 3, 10:40pm UTC
The probable cause of the Colgan Air crash that killed 50 people near Buffalo, N.Y., a year ago was the captain's inappropriate response, characterized as "startle and confusion," after the stick shaker was activated, pulling back when he should have pushed forward, the NTSB reported in a hearing on Tuesday.
Feb 3, 12:10am UTC
 
The huge snowstorm blanketing the mid-Atlantic has reportedly collapsed the roof of an FBO at Dulles and may have damaged or destroyed four aircraft, according to WTOP news.
Feb 6, 6:20pm UTC
Reports surfaced Friday that the TSA is backing off of plans to create regulations proposed in 2008 that would have required GA operators to screen people and cargo; the agency is now said to be leaning toward leaving security to the judgment of pilots and operators.
Feb 6, 7:17am UTC
For Learn To Fly Day, PilotJourney.com's Gary Bradshaw, along with AOPA, EAA, Remos Aircraft and a host of others, is mobilizing to create literally hundreds of seminars across the country that will be presented to future pilots and aviation enthusiasts.
Feb 4, 10:40pm UTC
It's not every day that a film crew flies into the Alta Sierra residential airpark east of Sacramento but Michael Graves had been so thoroughly lured into the story, he didn't have a clue that he would be the star of the show.
Feb 8, 2:05am UTC
Reacting to Tuesday's conclusions from the NTSB blaming the flight crew for the fatal crash last February, Colgan Air released a statement saying the crew had been properly trained.
Feb 3, 10:34pm UTC
The Super Bowl, coming up this Sunday, is not only a big event for football teams, TV advertisers, and pizza delivery drivers, it's a big deal for general aviation, with lots of extra traffic expected for south Florida and special flight rules in place.
Feb 3, 10:27pm UTC
The National Aeronautic Association this week released its list of nominees for the 2009 Robert J. Collier Trophy, long considered one of the more prestigious awards in the aviation world.
Feb 3, 10:44pm UTC
The budget plan released by the White House this week drops last year's proposal to impose aviation user fees, and instead retains the traditional FAA funding formula of taxes on tickets and fuel plus a general-fund contribution.
Feb 3, 12:14am UTC
Department of Transportation Secretary Ray Lahood came out swinging Tuesday against a USA Today report that alleged that 65,000 airline flights over the last six years occurred in aircraft that were not properly maintained.
Feb 3, 1:26am UTC

COMPLETE NEWS Read the Latest Issue of AVwebFlash
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AVweb Insider Blog
Now lets see if we can keep the bureaucracy from killing it.
 

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Features & Columns

Letter of the Week: Female Flight Challenge

...

To celebrate the Centennial of Licensed Women Pilots and Women's Day, women pilots from around the world will attempt to set a worldwide flying record: the most women pilots introducing a woman to flying in one single day, March 8, as well as within one single week, from March 6 to March 12.

To participate, women pilots must hold a pilot's license, be current, fly an aircraft certified for the carriage of passengers, and register free of charge at CentennialOfWomenPilots.com to be counted.

...

Mireille Goyer

Click through to read the rest of Mireille Goyer's letter and more from this week's mailbag.

 
Brainteasers From preflight briefing to IFR cancellation, the PIC faces a boatload of Aeronautical Decision Making (ADM). Helping, or hindering, are countless FARs and AIM suggestions. Count how many you can handle with this quiz.
Take the quiz.

FULL INDEX OF FEATURES Browse Our Features Archive
FULL INDEX OF COLUMNS Browse Our Columns Archive

Podcasts and Video
When 15-year-old Eric Schultz was killed in a Texas flight training accident, public opinion could have soured. But long-time columnist Bob Ray Sanders took a stand in the Dallas/Ft. Worth Star-Telegram. AVweb's Glenn Pew spoke with Sanders to learn his motivation and how best you can approach your hometown paper and other media outlets to advocate general aviation.
A lot of pilots are active supporters of general aviation, but few of them put their money where their mouth is like Gary Bradshaw, founder of PilotJourney.com and a major contributor to the May 15, 2010 "Learn To Fly Day" initiative.
It's been a little more than 50 years since anyone tried to break one of the most bizarre aviation endurance records. Matt Pipkin and his father Chet are aiming to try next October by keeping a Cessna 172 in the air for 65 days straight. AVweb's Russ Niles spoke with Matt Pipkin about the attempt and how it will benefit others.
Star power may help the light sport/sport pilot movement, as the National Sport Pilot Association gets ready to recruit some pop superstars as pilots. AVweb's Paul Bertorelli speaks with Jim Reyes about how his organization hopes to revive interest in flying.
What goes into a cockpit design?IFR magazine's Jeff Van West talks with Del Fadden, who was Chief of Flight Deck Technology during the development of the Boeing 757 and 767. In this extra-long podcast, hear how the engineers made these two planes so similar up front that they share a common type rating and how lessons learned in that cockpit could inform the NextGen-enabled cockpit of the future for big and small aircraft.
Since a devastating earthquake struck Haiti earlier this week, general aviation aircraft and pilots have been crucial to the response. Doug Clements, executive director of Wings of Hope, based in St. Louis, Mo., explains how his pilots are helping and what AVweb listeners can do to support their efforts.
There are still lean times ahead for aircraft manufacturers, but the freefall of the last 18 months seems to be ending. AVweb's Russ Niles spoke with the Teal Group's Richard Aboulafia about where the market is headed in the next 18 months.
 
For nearly three decades, general aviation has been struggling to find an unleaded replacement for 100LL avgas. General Aviation Modifications Inc. (GAMI) in Ada, Oklahoma says they've found it. AVweb's Paul Bertorelli recently took a test flight to see how the new fuel works.
Twenty-four years after the event, what may be the only amateur video shot of the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion has gone public. A Presidential commission resolved the accident took place on a day that was 15° colder than any previous launch ... and that the 36° launch-time temperature was a contributing factor.
What's special about preflighting the Rotax engines found on most LSAs? Tim Brooks, Director of Maintenance for Heart of Virginia Aviation, takes you on a just-the-facts tour explaining what you're looking for and why it's important.
At the U.S. Sport Expo in Sebring, Garmin introduced operating software for the G3X EFIS that allows extensive systems and engine monitoring for LSAs and experimentals. It also announced a new G3X mode interface with the TruTrak autopilot.
That's what Levil Technology is offering. With the company's basic software, you can run all sort of other software and sensors in a Windows-based EFIS for experimentals.
Belite definitely is that — light. In this AVweb Product Minute, check out the company's new product.
Tecnam is a leading manufacturer in the LSA segment, with several popular models. At the U.S. Sport Aviation Expo in Sebring this week, they showed off a new model, the P2008. AVweb checked it out in this video.

FULL INDEX OF PODCASTS Find All Podcasts Of Interest

AVwebBiz: AVweb's Business Aviation Newsletter
Delivered every Wednesday morning, AVwebBiz focuses on the companies, the products and the industry leaders that make headlines in the business aviation industry, making it a must-read.

Add AVwebBiz to your free subscriptions today by clicking here and choosing "Update E-mail Subscriptions."
Jan 1, 10:14pm UTC

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Who's Where
Chris Bodine has been named Vice President and General Manager of StandardAero's Augusta facility. He's been in the role as acting VP for nine months.

Jan 27, 9:07am UTC

FULL INDEX OF WHO'S WHERE STORIES Find Past Who's Where Stories Of Interest

VIDEO


AVweb's G100UL Flight Test

No video? Direct link here.
U.S. Sport Aviation Expo 2010

No video? Direct link here.

READER-SUBMITTED PHOTOS
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QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Who should win the Collier Trophy for 2009?

The nominations for the prestigious Collier Trophy, given annually by the National Aeronautic Association for "the greatest achievement in aeronautics or astronautics in America, with respect to improving the performance, efficiency, and safety of air or space vehicles, the value of which has been thoroughly demonstrated by actual use during the preceding year" were released Wednesday. Who or what is your pick for aviation's most prestigious prize?


Share your Opinion »

PILOT RESOURCES

FBO OF THE WEEK

AVweb's "FBO of the Week" ribbon goes to Airbound Aviation at Essex County Airport (KCDW) in Caldwell, New Jersey.

AVweb reader Mike Kenny described the FBO as "a hidden gem" in his comments and told us the team at Airbound took care of him on a recent trip into New York City. "The service was exceptional, and they also arranged minor service on our PC-12 on very short notice," wrote Mike.

AVweb is actively seeking out the best FBOs in the country and another one, submitted by you, will be spotlighted here next Monday!

Keep those nominations coming. For complete contest rules, click here.

Nominate an FBO »

SHORT FINAL...

With Super Bowl XLIV about to kick off as we prepare this week's AVweb stories, we can't resist the temptation to delve into our mailbag and serve up a "Short Final" that's been holding for over a year:

It was a Friday afternoon in November when we were departing OSU airport in the company King Air for our home base in Grand Rapids. The huge college rivalry between OSU and U of M was to be played tomorrow. Since the OSU fans can be quite literally fanatical about their team, my co-pilot and I were pretty quiet all day about our allegiance to the Michigan football squad.

As we were taxiing out to the busy runway, we changed over to tower, and the pattern was full of OSU students and their instructors. The frequency was busy. It was my leg, so the co-pilot was on the radio. My voice had not been heard yet.

After my copilot responded to our takeoff clearance, I couldn't help myself and keyed the mike, saying in a deep and serious voice, "Go Blue!"

We enjoyed a takeoff roll in complete radio silence. All communications stopped dead for about ten seconds!

The shocked silence was broken with the words "Who said that?!"

I knew we had gotten away with it when we were handed off to Columbus departure and didn't have to enter a hold! That ten seconds of silence was almost as good as the beating we gave them in the next day's game!

Doug Downer
via e-mail

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